Ryu Kumon
Ryu is a somewhat minor character from Ranma ½ (while the rest of the main cast in the fic are the main cast from the manga). A serious and driven young man, he learned the dangerous Yamasenken set of techniques, and in attempting to get the counterpart Umisenken, he lost to Ranma (who then forced him to seal up the Yamasenken as they were ‘forbidden techniques’). Ryu eagerly joins India Squad once he learns that not only will Ranma let him use the Yamasenken again, but that he will get paid handsomely for his help. One of the strongest and most capable martial artists in the two squads, Ryu continues to develop the “Kumon Reformed” style of the Yamasenken, while fighting in India Squad. He typically has the all important position of Squad Pointman. Background Ryu was born the heir to one of the poorest and more broken down Dojos in Japan. The Kumon style was considered something of a joke, and the family was perpetually plagued to be only one step ahead of creditors. A chance encounter with Genma Saotome had the potential to turn around the Kumon fortunes, and Osamu Kumon managed to bargain for a scroll outlining the techniques of a powerful set of martial arts, called the Yamasenken (Thousand Fists of the Mountain). However, in trying out the destructive art, he brought down his own Dojo, crushing both his body and the dream of building a respectable Dojo. With his father dead, Ryu (an exceptionally skilled individual even at the tender age of 12) learned the Yamasenken, and vowed to also learn the sister art of the Umisenken. With both of these in his use, he believed that he could perfect the style and rebuild the Dojo. Ryu's quest eventually took him to Nerima, and into conflict with Ranma (who wished to seal the dangerous Yamasenken, since it was originally a Saotome family art developed by his father). For a time, Ryu posed as Ranma, hoping to fool his mother Nodoka into revealing where the hidden family scrolls were. A ruthless and driven man, Ryu would let nothing stand in the way of his dream of rebuilding the Kumon Dojo. Ranma eventually learned the Umisenken and defeated him after a grueling duel, forcing Ryu to seal up his techniques. The Kumon heir left honorably, and abided by his pledge to not practice the Yamasenken. After a year, he began to develop a tangential art to the Yamasenken, but found it difficult without being able to use the original. When he was later given permission to unseal the Yamasenken, and earn enough money to buy and rebuild the Kumon Dojo, he became a devoted and stalwart addition to India Squad. Abilities After a years of training with high-elite tier martial artists, learning their tricks, and practicing in the Psi-Lab and Psi-Gym Ryu has heightened his ki awareness and understanding significantly. The training also broadened his knowledge from a purely technical standpoint. Thanks to this he is now able to perceive that intermediate force being applied in different ways. Every martial artist of his caliber could see or taste or smell or hear ki being used, it was always different, but through training, Ryu has learned to perceive not just the use of the force, but also its intensity… its magnitude. Ryu was able to teach himself the Yama-Sen Ken from the scroll that Genma had given his father. He had become a master of the style after years of solitary wandering while searching for scroll containing the Umi-Sen Ken. Thanks to his unorthodox and ruthless fighting style, Ryu was one of Ranma's most dangerous adversaries and defeated him twice. However after learning the Umi-Sen Ken Ranma challenged Ryu to a climactic duel where he would either gain the Umi-Sen Ken if he won or seal away the Yama-Sen Ken if he lost. Despite Ryu's best efforts, he fell to the Umi-Sen Ken's ultimate technique and upheld his end of the bargain. Just as the Saotome style branched from the Ganso style of Happosai-sensei, since joining UNETCO has aimed to branch of and gain acknowledgement of his distinct Kumon style of Yamasenken. A style that would not need to be sealed in times of peace, and one I could practice freely. At first Ryu sought to compensate for the Yamasenken’s weakness in defense by toughening up his body. However he quickly realized that that wouldn’t be enough. The Kumon school of Yamasenken divorces itself from the original concept of thievery and instead focuses mainly on its more arbitrary description of an art 'to live'. To that end the Kumon school focuses mainly on defense in contrast to the offensive mindset of the original. Instead of likening his opponent to a house and that he then breaks into it, Ryu likens himself as a house his hands are his gates. His arms are his walls. His legs are his foundation. Each one of these has its own defenses. That is the Kumon ryu. Ryu also borrowed the parent school’s philosophy of appropriating (or getting "inspiration" from, or technically stealing from) other martial artists and their schools, though by design it tended to be more rigid than the original. Special Techniques 'Moko Kaimon Ha'' '(Fierce Tiger Crashing Gates):' The user slashes out at empty air with a double-handed "tearing" blow that is accompanied with a forward kick that conveys as much speed as it does destructive potential. Good way of making an entrance while announcing your presence like. The Fierce Tiger projects all your energy in a directed forced entry, ripping apart an enemy's defenses as if they were nothing. It is extremely difficult to withstand such an all out attack as it leaves little avenue for evasion, and trying to resist it is folly. The Yamasenken was designed to break into people's homes. The Moko Kaimon Ha is supposed to kick in a door. Part of reforming the school is to break out of the original mindset which in turn makes the Moko Kaimon Ha more adaptable to other situations and opponents. ''Dokuja Tanketsu Sho' (Poison Snake Deep Hole Blow):' A fierce strike to the chest area in an attempt to literally rip out an opponent's heart. Training to master this technique is done by jabbing the hand into a tree. ''Kinshi Kinbakusho' (Gold Cord Tight Binding Soar):' The original Yamasenken 'Gold Cord Tight Binding Soar' used normal rope to tie someone up at super high speed, taking advantage of upper body strength and centripetal motion. The newer variant of the technique that Ryu had developed for his Reformed style is more deadly, aiming not to immobilize the arms, but instead to string up the neck. ''Geimon Tetsu Sen Shi '(Welcome Gates Fan Finger):' The Yamasenken relies on the power of cutting blows and the special conditioning of the hands. It is similar to Shitojutsu, except even more specialized. The user slashes upward with the fingers of their hand coming together to present a solid "Snake-fist" style blow towards the solar plexus. Coming up in such a sharp angle allows the user to go right through opponent’s defense. The revised version curls the hand into a fist at the last second to compensate for the Umisenken’s Gaito Retsuga Dan. ''Kijin Raishu Dan '(Demon God Assault Bomb):' Uses in essence the action of flinging shutters, the user moves their hands so fast that they create near-vacuum slashes that jet through the air at near-sonic speeds and can strike an opponent at a considerable distance. The blades are sharp enough to slice through metal. ''Kijin Raishu Tekidan '(Demon God Assault Grenade):' A revised version of the Kijin Raishu Dan done from a special stance where Ryu moves one arm forward and the other out to the side at a perpendicular angle. The Kijin Raishu Tekidan, is designed to defeat enemies hiding behind defilade, or under cover. Its unique stance causes the resulting vacuum blade to act as a boomerang allowing it to curve into a trench, around a tree, arc through a doorway. So even if the opponent dodges the first strike, the second one won’t be as easy. ''Kijin Raishu Sateraito' (Demon God Assault Satellite):' This is the first purely defensive technique of the new Yamasenken. The technique is performed similar to the Kijin Dai Ran Bu only more streamline. The rapid spinning creates a vacuum that removes the air from around user creating a barrier that protects them from attack by slicing everything that comes in contact with it. However by temporarily removing the air from the immediate area user runs the risk of suffocating if they aren’t careful. ''Kijin Dai Ran Bu' (Demon God Big Mad Dance):' The second ultimate technique. Similar to the Demon-God Multiple Strike, with the user spinning to fire off multiple bladees of air at random. ''Sai Dai Kyuu Kijin Raishu Dan '(First-Rate Demon God Assault Bomb):' The most powerful version of the Demon-God Multiple Strike. ''Kyouhu Kijin Dai Ran Bu '(Frightful Demon God Big Mad Dance): Though Ryu generally uses "quantity over quality" in his vacuum blades, the reformed Yamasenken includes the ability to layer one vacuum blade onto another, hitting the same area over and over. This chainsaw of blades has a cumulative effect against a truly hard target. Unfortunately, like the PSSH, it required Ryu to stay in one spot, firing off the vaccuum blades. In a combat environment with aliens, this usually means leaving yourself open for a sniper shot. '''Kijin Raishu Kami Ken (Demon God Assault '''Gods Fist):''' this technique was developed to imitate the incredible speed of the Wolf clan of the Musk. The Kijin Raishu Kami-Ken is basically an absolute speed variation of making a vacuum with your speed. User moves so fast that his entire body creates a vacuum that sucks in matter erasing what ever space he passes. This effectively removes whatever is in his path from existence. The objects are eliminated like an extremely sharp blade had sliced clean through them. '''Kijin 'Seikūken' (Demon God Vacuum Sphere):' Ryu unleashes multiple Kijin Raishu Tekidans that merge into a single, big ragged tear that hovers in midair. Once the ki used to construct them become used up the vaccum implodes and sucks in everything nearby like a black hole. ''Kijin Raishū '''Kizu (Demon God Assault Scar): The greatest strength of the Yamasenken is in the arms and hands. This means that is user’s stance is ever broken or disrupted, the Yamasenken itself would have its effectiveness cut by two thirds. This technique overcomes that weakness. User spins like a top, legs snapping with a flurry of kicks that unleash Kijin Raishu Dan. While this technique is just as powerful as the original the strikes aren’t as precise as those done with the hands and arms. Tetsu Shugō (Iron Guardian): A basic fighting stance of the Kumon school of Yamasenken that centers around the concentrating totally on a counterattack. To use this stance the user puts all of his energy and focus into a counterattack. By abandoning even the thought of defense, he counts on his durability and reflexes to respond instantly to any attack. Category:India Squad